Heuchera plant named ‘Van Gogh’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Heuchera  named ‘Van Gogh’, that is characterized by its compact plant habit with small leaves, its leaves that are yellow-green in color with red veins, its abundance of flowering stems extending straight up from the basal rosettes, and its deep pink flowers on dark red flowering stems.

Botanical classification: Heuchera hybrid.

Cultivar designation: ‘Van Gogh’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heucheraof hybrid origin, botanically known as a Heuchera and is hereinafterreferred to by its cultivar name ‘Van Gogh’.

The new cultivar was discovered as a chance seedling in a trial field bythe Inventor in Hantay, France in April of 2011. The trial fieldcontained hundreds of cultivars and proprietary seedlings of Heucherafrom the Inventor's breeding program. The exact parentage of ‘Van Gogh’is therefore unknown.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished under thedirection of the Inventor by in vitro propagation initiated frommeristem tissue in Rijswijk, The Netherlands in June of 2012. Asexualpropagation of the new cultivar by in vitro propagation has determinedthat the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and arereproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Van Gogh’ as a new and unique cultivar of Heuchera.

-   -   1. ‘Van Gogh’ exhibits a compact plant habit with small leaves.    -   2. ‘Van Gogh’ exhibits leaves that are yellow-green in color        with red veins.    -   3. ‘Van Gogh’ exhibits an abundance of tall flowering stems        extending straight up from the basal rosettes.    -   4. ‘Van Gogh’ exhibits deep pink flowers on dark red flowering        stems.        ‘Van Gogh’ can be most closely compared to the Heuchera        cultivars ‘Circus’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,495) and ‘Tiramisu’        (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,429). ‘Circus’ differs from ‘Van Gogh’        in having a less compact plant habit, in having young leaves        that are less golden-yellow in color, and in having flowers that        are lighter pink in color. ‘Tiramisu’ is similar to ‘Van Gogh’        in foliage coloration. ‘Tiramisu’ differs from ‘Van Gogh’ in        having a less compact plant habit, in having less contrasting        colors between the leaf blade and veins, and in having flowers        that are white in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Heuchera. The photographs weretaken of a plant three-years in age as grown in a garden bed in a polycovered unheated greenhouse in Hillegom, The Netherlands. The plant wasplaced in a container for the photograph.

The photograph in FIG.1 provides a side view of the plant habit of ‘VanGogh’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of‘Van Gogh’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a leaf of ‘VanGogh’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the digitalphotography techniques available, the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description accurately describe the colors of the newHeuchera.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of three year-old plants of ‘VanGogh’ as grown in a garden bed in a poly covered unheated greenhouse inHillegom, The Netherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may varywith variations in environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, asit has not been tested under all possible environmental conditions. Thecolor determination is in accordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chartof The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, except wheregeneral color terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—An average of 4 weeks from late spring into            summer in The Netherlands.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Compact, clump-forming.        -   Height and spread.—An average of 80 cm in height (including            inflorescences, 25 cm from base to apex of inflorescence)            and 35 cm in width in three years in the garden.        -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 3 to 9.        -   Diseases and pests.—No particular susceptibility or            resistance to pests and diseases has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous roots on woody rootstalks.        -   Propagation.—In vitro propagation.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Stem description (peduncle, flowering stem):    -   -   Shape.—Round.        -   Stem color.—187C.        -   Stem size.—Primary; an average of 2.5 mm in diameter and 71            cm in length, secondary; an average of 0.75 mm in diameter            and 3.5 cm in length.        -   Stem strength.—Moderate.        -   Stem aspect.—Average angle of primary peduncle; 82.5°            (horizontal=0°), average angle of secondary peduncles; 85°            to primary peduncle (=0°).        -   Stem surface.—Densely covered with very short hairs an            average of 1 mm in length and NN155A in color.        -   Stem number.—Average of 15 flowering stems.        -   Branching habit.—Flowering stems emerge from basal rosette.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Broad ovate to orbicular.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Hastate, moderately overlapping.        -   Leaf apex.—Rounded with tip mucronate.        -   Leaf venation.—Laciniate, color; young leaves; 178A on upper            surface and 144D on lower surface; mature leaves upper            surface; a blend between 150C and 154D with tertiary veins            176C to 176D and lower surface, lower surface main and            secondary veins are sparsely covered with short hairs; an            average of 0.5 mm in length and NN155A in color.        -   Leaf margins.—Lobed with average of 7 lobes per leaf, medium            lobe depth, lobe margins crenate and weakly undulate,            moderately to densely covered with short hairs an average of            0.5 mm in length and NN155A in color.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate in basal rosettes.        -   Leaf orientation.—Typically nearly horizontal to petiole and            slightly cupped.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface; dull and moderately covered            with short hairs an average of 0.5 mm in length and NN155A            in color, lower surface; dull and moderately to densely            covered with short hairs an average of 0.5 mm in length and            NN155A in color.        -   Leaf color.—In the spring, young leaves upper surface; 150B            to 150C with margins 150A and area surrounding veins 176B to            176D, and lower surface; 151D with area surrounding veins            182B to 182C, in the summer and fall, mature leaves upper            surface; a blend between 150C and 154D with margins 151C to            151D and area surrounding veins 176D, lower surface; 154C            with area surrounding veins 182C to 182D.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 6.5 cm in length and 6.4 cm in            width.        -   Leaf quantity.—An average of 18 per basal rosette.        -   Petioles.—An average of 13.6 cm in length and 2 mm in            diameter, color; 144C to 144D and suffused with 176D,            surface densely covered with very short hairs; an average of            1 mm in length and NN155A in color.        -   Stipules.—Small leafy stipules at the base of each leaf,            narrow acute apex, an average of 1.3 cm in length and 2.5 mm            in width, color; 145D.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Numerous small bell-shaped flowers            arranged on panicles on peduncles emerging from the base of            the rosette.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 26.8 cm in height and 9.8            cm in width.        -   Inflorescence number.—An average of 15 (three year-old            plant).        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower quantity.—Average of 130 flowers per flowering stem.        -   Flower lastingness.—Average of one week.        -   Flower buds.—Obovate in shape, an average of 5 mm in            diameter and 2.5 mm in diameter, color; 52A with a blend            between 53A and 59A towards the top.        -   Flower attitude.—Outwards to slightly drooping downwards.        -   Flower type.—Single, campanulate.        -   Flower size.—About 9 mm in length and 6 mm in diameter.        -   Petals.—About 5, rotate arrangement and implanted in the            hypanthium at base, narrow elliptic to narrow ovate and            oblanceolate in shape, margin is entire, narrow acute apex            acute, upper and lower surface is dull and glabrous, color            of upper and lower surface when opening and when fully open;            N57A, an average of 3 mm in length and 1 mm in width.        -   Calyx.—Campanulate, sepals fused to hypanthium, 9 mm in            length and 6 mm in diameter.        -   Sepals.—An average of 5, fused into campanulate hypanthium,            elliptic in shape, an average of 9 mm in length and 2.5 mm            in width, margin is entire and fused into hypanthium, acute            apex, fused base, color; immature upper and lower surface;            52A with apex a blend between 53A and 59A, mature upper and            lower surface; 58B with 60A towards the tip, surfaces are            dull, upper and lower surfaces are densely covered with very            short glandular hairs an average of 0.1 mm in length and            matched to the sepals in color.        -   Pedicels.—An average of 2 mm in length and 0.5 mm in            diameter, 187A in color, moderate strength, average angle of            main flower pedicel 0° (0°=horizontal), average angle of            secondary flower pedicels 30° to main pedicel.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—An average of 2 pistils, 2.5 mm in length,            stigma; pointed in shape, 155D in color, style; an average            of 2 mm in length and 155D in color, ovary; 151D in color.        -   Androcoecium.—An average of 5 stamens, anthers; ovate in            shape, about 0.5 mm in length and 202A in color, filament;            1.5 mm in length and NN155C to NN155D in color, pollen; none            detected.        -   Seed/fruit.—No fruit or seeds were observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Heuchera plantnamed ‘Van Gogh’ as herein illustrated and described.